Next Week -- Meeting on the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative -- Tuesday Oct. 25

Ramone Booth 9, a fourth grader from R. Grant Graham Elementary School in Auburn Hills holds up a crawfish taken from the Clinton River during a class trip to Riverside Park in Auburn Hills, Mich., Wednesday, October 5, 2005. The students were at the park testing the water in the Clinton River to evaluate the amount of erosion and sedimentation and to perform a variety of water quality tests. (Detroit News Photo by Linda Radin).

More and more I am thinking about how important the Anacostia River could be in the city, not just in terms of a Baltimore Inner Harbor-like tourist attraction, but as a way to connect all citizens of the city to the river and to the environment. One of these days I'll write more about this. An interesting approach is that of Maryland and their Anacostia Heritage Trail Initiative, but there are plenty of other ways to think about and approach the city's rivers.

Photo from www.arkitera.com.

From Jeff Fletcher, The Capitol Hill Restoration Society--

Next week, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society's monthly meeting featuresUwe Brandes, Vice President for Capital Projects of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.

The presentation and forum, sponsored by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society as part of its regular series of membership meetings, will take place on October 25, 2005, in the basement of St. Peter's Church at 2nd and C Streets, S.E. Refreshments will be served at 7:00 p.m. and the Anacostia waterfront presentation will begin at 7:45 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and is free of charge.

The focus of the presentation will be on those portions of the Anacostia waterfront redevelopment proposal that most immediately affect the Capitol Hill community--from the South Capitol Street initiative to the new stadium site, along the riverfront through the Navy Yard and up past the Hill East waterfront (Reservation 13) and RFK stadium. The redevelopment initiative is expected to produce millions of square feet of office space and thousands of residential units in the area, as well as parks and trails, also part of the plan, that will give citizens access to the riverfront.

In addition to outlining the basic framework of the redevelopment plan, Brandes's presentation will highlight how the initiative will relate to Capitol Hill in terms of business opportunities, urban design, density, and historic preservation. Brandes also will explain the workings of the quasi-governmental corporation that is leading the revitalization effort, including who is on the board, how citizens can participate, and who is responsible for various aspects of the overall waterfront plan.

Formed in 2000, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative is a partnership between the federal and District governments to create a model urban waterfront along the Anacostia River. More than 3,000 acres of land make up the overall waterfront planning area.

Anacostia River image from Low Impact Development.